The horrifying moment when three teens launch a racist attack on a black autistic teen and drag him off the New York City subway during rush hour, leaving him with facial and body injuries that require stitches.
The 15-year-old boy, whose identity has not been released, was alighting the northbound A train at West 181 Street and Fort Washington Avenue station at about 5:30 p.m. Friday night when the unprovoked attack occurred.
The video shows a female assailant grabbing the teen by his sweatshirt and dragging him around as a group of other teens follow — yelling and swearing at the teen and yelling racial slurs.
When the boy tried to get away and got back on the subway, the female assailant followed him and started beating the teen, pulling him off the train and onto the platform. Footage shows him being blocked by a group of teenagers who are all throwing punches.
The victim was punched several times in the face and body during the attack. His glasses also broke in the gruesome attack. He suffered a cut to his lip and body aches, a DCPI spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
The 15-year-old autistic boy got back on the subway and tried to flee from his attackers, while one of the teens followed him and started beating him
The video clip shows the boy trying to protect himself as the teen thug punches him multiple times on the face and head
The boy can be seen in the video trying to fight back, but was soon outnumbered and pushed to the ground and beaten. Some bystanders filmed the violent attack on their mobile phones.
The victim’s devastated mother, who did not want to reveal her identity for fear of her and her son’s safety, told the court ABC7 News that she “refuses to watch” the video.
“No one wants to see their child attacked,” she said.
The boy’s mother, who described her son as having high-functioning autism, said she knew he had gone out Friday night.
But she said she had no idea he was the victim of an assault until she received a call from police that her son was in hospital.
Some of the injuries he sustained, she said, were to his face and body requiring stitches. But she spoke of the mental scars her son will now have from the terrifying attack.
She told the news outlet that her son did not know his attackers and their motive.
Footage shows the terrified teen trying to fend off his attacker
The teen hits the boy as bystanders record the incident on their cell phones
The video shows how the boy tries to protect himself against the perpetrator
A male attacker attacks the boy on the platform during the unprovoked attack
Footage of the female swiping at the victim as he stands on the platform at 181 West St.
The disturbing video shows the boy being beaten on the head and body
The teen victim is attacked by a group of teens in the unprovoked attack
The alarming video has been circulating all over social media, sparking outrage.
The Best of Harlem posted it on their Instagram comment “how heartbroken, angry and disgusted” they were.
“I don’t know what preceded this fragment on that train, but I find it extremely difficult to think of anything that justifies what is happening,” they wrote in part.
“It’s disappointing that this is still where we are in the world. It’s a sad state of affairs folks.
They added in part, “I’m sure details will emerge as to what led up to this attack and who exactly these kids are.”
Another person, who described himself as an ABA THERAPIST, was shocked by the video.
“I can assure you the young man had no idea what he had done wrong,” they wrote. “The young lady held him against his will!
“I literally cried watching this video because our autistic children are already vulnerable to this cruel world. Find these Dwarves and lock them up, and the adults too.’
Richard Davey, president of New York City Transit, said in a statement that the video was “heartbreaking and disturbing.”
“Our hearts are with the young man who is being victimized seemingly senselessly,” said Davey.
“No one should be subject to this type of hateful harassment while riding the New York City Transit, and the MTA is cooperating fully with the NYPD in its investigation of the incident.”
Police are now looking for two women and a man.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes unit is investigating due to anti-black slurs that were thrown, a DCPI spokesman said.
No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing.
In the meantime, the boy has not been back to school and is recovering at home from Monday, the news outlet reported.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
All conversations are strictly confidential.